Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-08-17

contestants called upon me as the friend
and second Of MeKnight. Il He was in
an exultant mood Mcknight was a.
professional duelist, and ! must fight.
At great oddsSor sneak out of the city
and abandon the case. think he
counted on my making an abject apollo
gy and agreeing to leave the city, for
he was greatly cast down when I said
II believe that dueling is but another
name for murder, but under present
circumstances shall sink my scruples
and accept the challenge. Under the
rules Of the code I have the choice OF
weapons. Return here ate o'clock in
the morning and I will name the weap-
ons and will also be ready to proceed to
the, field. -,- ,.x... n.....m ,e,.~
He argued that no true gentleman
would ask for anything more than PTS
tolls at ten PAGES, but I was firm. The
meeting was settled for the second
morning at 8 O'clock, and the second
went away to wait for my decision
Was I upsetp Yes. Did I have
cowardly fearp No. It was a night
mare. My feelings were something like
those of thetman who knows that he is
to be led out to death at a certain date.
I was just as firmly resolved to fight
that man as could resolve on any
thing, but the burden on my mind was
enough to unstring every nerve. I was
no shot with pistol or rife, and I had
never handled sword. He had every
advantage in that respect Two-thirds
of the day had passed before I made
up my mind how We should fight. It
would be certain death to both, but it
was the only way 10 even up our
chances. We should stand foot to foot,
with the muzzles of the pistols at each
others hearts.
When Meningitis second came for
the decision, and I gave it to him, he
turned whittier than snow. He offered
to accept any sort of apology, and he
finally offered to let the matter drop,
but refused in each and every in
stance. It was my turn to force
things. The matter got out somehow,
as those things will. I had arranged
the affair without a second, which was
irregular, and gave them loophole of
escape. Then half dozen different
parties came forward with offers to act,
and the duel had to 60 on, though it
was thirty-six hours later than the time
originally agreed upon. While I was
forcing the issue all this time, I was
suffering in a mental way as a man
would who saw a cannon being loaded
to send shell at him. I drew mp my
will, wrote farewell letters, and said
good-by to the world, and when l at
last stood face to face with my adver-
sary had been tortured into a deter
n1ination to kill and be killed. Moth
ing he could have offered me would
have induced me to change my mind.
Mcknight had fought seven duels and
killed five of his men, but the terms of
this one shook his nerves. he toed the
mark on brandy instead of courage.
His second had to fairly push him to
the mark, and it was only at the last
moment that he showed anything like
grit. We stood foot to foot, each pis-
tol held against the other man, and
then the second stepped back and we
waited for the word. It came in few
seconds, but during that brief interval
l suffered more than any soldier did in
half dozen battles. 1t was good-by
to the world for ever. It was death as
soon as trigger was pulled
| "Gentlemen, are you readyP" ex.
claimed the man who was to give the
word. but the word did not come. Nc.
Knight suddenly dropped his pistol,
threw up his hands, and then fell down il
a fit which kept him unconscious fol
three hours and in bed for a month. The
torture had been too great. Within ter
seconds of death he broke down, not tt
save his life, but because the limit o.
human endurance had been reached.